Do These 3 Easy Things To Prepare for the New Year
December is always a tricky month. It’s super fast-paced towards the front end creating a sense of urgency to wrap things up and prepare for the close of the year. You may have projects to finish, sales goals to reach or books to complete. Sometimes this added pressure makes it difficult to enjoy time with friends and family during the holidays. But if you properly prepare to embrace the New Year, you can look forward to the end of the month relaxed and stress-free. If you do these three easy things to prepare for the New Year NOW, 2016 will be a breeze!
Tie Up Loose Ends
Use the holidays to recharge your batteries; so don’t leave loose ends or deadlines hanging. Spending a little extra time now to complete tasks will make sure you can sit back and unwind during your hard-earned vacation days. This includes finishing any year-end reports, turn in all expenses, and file those insurance benefits forms. Before leaving for the holiday, inform your team and managers of how to reach you in case of emergency and don’t forget to set an out-of-office response on voice mail and email.
Organize Your Workspace
It’s the perfect time to take advantage of the slowing pace of the office to organize your workspace. Start by clearing your office cubicle drawers of extraneous files, papers, and clutter. Clean out office file cabinets, shredding or recycling what you don’t need. Do the same electronically, deleting and/or reorganizing emails, files and voicemails. Now’s also a great time to stock up or refill office supplies. Returning to a neat and organized workspace will start the year off right!
Make Time For Reflection
Many of us rush through year-end without reflecting on our accomplishments. No doubt you’ve had successes, so list them out in as much detail and as quantifiable as possible. Believe me, it will save you tons of time later during your performance review or to update your resume. Once the frenzy of the New Year begins, you’ll find it more difficult to recall the results of last year’s efforts. Reconnect with contacts you’ve lost touch with during the year and wish them well over the holidays.
Before you leave the office, take a little time to write down your professional and personal goals for the New Year. Keep them front and center at your office desk where you’re more apt to follow through. Take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity to clear the slate, start fresh and make next year your best yet.
